Zappiana

Roma’s digger supreme explores the version side of the original mother of invention: With covers by Jean-Luc Ponty, George Duke and more.

Widely regarded as one of rock’s most varied and colorful geniuses, Frank Zappa was at the forefront of avant-garde rock and modern composition right from the off. Whether playing bicycles on live TV, writing ground-breaking flights of orchestral fancy, producing friend Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica, providing ringmaster to Laurel Canyon, simply raising the bar for what was expected of modern music and culture. His trademark cartoonish flurries, bluesy grooves and stop-start arrangements have proved rich pickings for plenty of other musicians, a trajectory of inspiration that Rome’s crate diggin’ supremo David Nerattini follows, taking in versions from George Duke, Mandré, Nite People, jean-Luc Ponty and many more.